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Michelin Primacy 4 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Primacy 4 is ahead, 78–73

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Tire AMichelin

Primacy 4

Summer

Tests 82 · 23 tests Owners 74 · 13,367 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 15 in 2019 Summer and All Season Tyre Test (wet braking)

“Had a shop install two new Michelin Primacy 4 in the front of my W124 yesterday. On the way back home i checked the pressure and the right one was a little on the low side. Drove the car today and after a few kms of city driving i noticed it was steering itself to the right once i was out of the stop and go traffic. Got out of the car and the tire was almost flat. I put 2.7 bar in it at the first station but noticed the sidewall is now damaged and there's a buldge... How is this possible? It is wet and i can hear the sound of air coming out of the tire but can't identify where it comes from. If the rim is the problem, why did they install the tire without noticing me first? If they don't admit their fault and blame it on the rim, i'm going to have to buy a new tire...”

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5 Energy

Summer

Tests 76 · 1 test Owners 71 · 48 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 2 in Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy vs Pilot Sport 5: How Much Do You Really Give Up? (dry braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 80

    Dry

    Primacy 4 +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 Energy
    Professional tests (TWG score)8578
    Reviews found online7470
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%100%
  2. 81

    Wet

    Primacy 4 +9
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 Energy
    Professional tests (TWG score)8572
    Reviews found online7673
    Wet Braking (% of best)93%92%
  3. 76

    Comfort

    Primacy 4 +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 Energy
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
    Reviews found online7467
  4. 72

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 Energy
    Professional tests (TWG score)76–
  5. 77

    Treadwear

    Primacy 4 +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 Energy
    Professional tests (TWG score)8278
    Reviews found online71–
  6. 74

    Handling

    Primacy 4 +4
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 Energy
    Reviews found online7470
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Primacy 4Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy
Relative Score 78 73
Dry 80 75
Wet 81 72
Comfort 76 68
Noise 72 –
Treadwear 77 75
Handling 74 70

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Primacy 4

Pilot Sport 5 Energy

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryPrimacy 4Pilot Sport 5 EnergyΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 96% #5/7 · 2019 NAF Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/2 · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy vs Pilot Sport 5: How Much Do You Really Give Up? −3.6 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 72% #6/10 · 2022 ViBilagare Eco vs Normal Tyre Test 100% #1/2 · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy vs Pilot Sport 5: How Much Do You Really Give Up? −28.3 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 80% #6/13 · 2019 Swedish Summer Tyre Test 90% #2/2 · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy vs Pilot Sport 5: How Much Do You Really Give Up? −9.7 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 93% #4/15 · 2019 Summer and All Season Tyre Test 92% #2/2 · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy vs Pilot Sport 5: How Much Do You Really Give Up? +1.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Primacy 4

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and long-lasting durability
  • Low road noise and a very quiet, comfortable ride
  • Reliable and consistent wet and dry grip

Cons

  • Vague, numb, or floaty steering feel with soft sidewalls under hard cornering
  • High price point compared to competitors
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise or harsher ride as the tread wears down
All owner themes in the Primacy 4 review

Tire B Pilot Sport 5 Energy

Pros

  • Excellent wet weather grip and cornering stability
  • Noticeable reduction in road noise compared to stock alternatives
  • Improved energy efficiency and increased miles per kWh for electric vehicles

Cons

  • Some users reported a harsh and firm ride quality
  • Occasional complaints that road noise remains high despite insulation features
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 5 Energy review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Primacy 4

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Michelin Primacy 4 is generally positive, with drivers frequently praising its quiet ride, comfort, and dependable wet and dry braking performance. Several owners note impressive longevity reaching over 50,000 to 70,000 km, though some EV and SUV drivers report accelerated wear and fragile sidewalls over rough terrain. It is commonly viewed as a premium touring tire that commands high prices compared to competitors.

f30.bimmerpost.com

“I have Primacy 4s on my Volvo wagon. I've been very pleased. Plenty of grip, low road noise and longevity.”
vwvortex.com ·2026-09-12

“I might try to have a look at one today. There are two Uniroyal shops near me. Whether they have one in stock to look at though...? The trouble is they look really nice online but I'd like to see them in the flesh first. The old tyres (above photo) that were on these wheels were that nice square edged profile that I like, much the same as the Michelin Pilot Sports. These are going on my sons Golf EV so I'm also trying to consider if they are A rated for fuel, the best wet grip I can find and the lowest decibel level. The best choice I can find is the Michelin Primacy 4 which are A, A and 68. But on Black Circles it says they were designed for BMW. I'm sure they fit any wheel but do those properties still hold? I've always bought Pilots but B, B and 72, and its this 72 that really bugs me, is whats making me invest so much time into getting the right tyre for Toms EV. I'm getting a Tesla this Tuesday which does in fact come with the Pilots so they must be good on EV's anyway. Who knew buying tyres was so complicated.”
r/AutomobileRO ·2 upvotes ·2025-09-22

“Am avut primacy 4 pe o electrica. Destul de dezamagit de faptul ca dupa ~ 28.000 km s-au tocit rau de au ajuns cam la 3 mm. Placute la condus, silentioase, dar nu cele mai aderente. Pilot sport 4 pe aceiasi electrica cu primacy 4. Huruie de te doare capul. Aderenta nu o simt neaparat wow fata de primacy 4. Nu le mai suport si abia astept sa le trec pe iarna, oricum asta fiind ultima incaltare cu ele. Pe o termica am primacy 5, si sunt cele mai ok din experienta mea. Cele mai silentioase si aderente din cele 3. Dupa 20.000 km uzura a scazut cam cu 1 mm. Recomandarea mea e sa alegi primacy 5 fara ezitare.”
Top themes
#tread life and longevity#cabin noise and comfort#wet and dry grip#comparisons with Pilot Sport#EV tire performance#sidewall damage and punctures#premium pricing

Based on 44 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Primacy 4 B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available5732
Rim diameters15″ – 20″18″ – 23″

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Primacy 4

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy

Winner: Michelin Primacy 4 — better wet, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 81 vs 72 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 76 vs 68 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 80 vs 75 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Primacy 4 scores 74 vs 70 on handling.

Tire A · Michelin Primacy 4
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

78

Leads

Primacy 4

Amazon